VLOOKUP in Google Sheets: Step-by-Step With Examples

VLOOKUP in Google Sheets works exactly like in Excel: find a value in the first column of a table and return a value from another column in the same row.

Syntax

=VLOOKUP(search_key, range, index, [is_sorted])

• search_key: what to find
• range: the table, with the search column first
• index: which column to return (1 = first column of the range)
• is_sorted: FALSE for exact match (use it)

Example

Product codes in A, names in B, prices in C. Code in F2:

=VLOOKUP(F2,$A$2:$C$100,3,FALSE)

Lock the range with $ before filling down. See absolute references in Sheets.

From another tab

=VLOOKUP(F2,Prices!$A$2:$C$100,3,FALSE)

Tab names with spaces need quotes: 'Price list'!$A$2:$C$100.

From another spreadsheet

=VLOOKUP(F2,IMPORTRANGE("spreadsheet_url","Prices!A2:C100"),3,FALSE)

The first time, Sheets asks you to allow access.

Not found

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(F2,$A$2:$C$100,3,FALSE),"Not found")

Fixing #N/A

Same causes as in Excel: extra spaces, numbers stored as text, missing FALSE, search column not first. See VLOOKUP not working.

XLOOKUP in Sheets

Google Sheets has XLOOKUP too:

=XLOOKUP(F2,$A$2:$A$100,$C$2:$C$100,"Not found")

It can look left and needs no column number. See XLOOKUP.

Look up a whole column at once

=ARRAYFORMULA(IFERROR(VLOOKUP(F2:F50,$A$2:$C$100,3,FALSE),""))

See ARRAYFORMULA.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets?

=VLOOKUP(key,range,column,FALSE), with the search column first in the range.

Can VLOOKUP search another sheet?

Yes, another tab directly, or another file with IMPORTRANGE.

Is VLOOKUP case-sensitive in Google Sheets?

No.

Does Google Sheets have XLOOKUP?

Yes, with the same syntax as Excel.